Nerd Alert Girls

If you want a straight answer, ask a straight lady. The Nerd Alert Girls need that on a T-shirt yesterday. Agatha All Along is done and finished beautifully. Marvel crafted a spell-binding story that Caroline and Genn adored and proved that they can treat their audience well with solid characters, surprising twists, and strong emotional hits.

Alright, folks. This is a meaty one. After Agatha threw us for a loop, we Nerd Alert Girls had MUCH to say about motherhood, LGBTQ+ themes, gender roles, the history of witches, comic book context, and the intense FEELINGS we have about Agatha All Along.And then there's the realization that Marvel is our hot n' cold romantic partner that either treats us really fine or...not. Give us a moment to process that...

We're almost halfway through Agatha All Along, and we're off to a solid start. Listen as Genn and Caroline reunite to discuss episodes 3 and 4, dissecting make-up, queer representation, and possibilities for the remainder of the show. No plot sweaters here, just friendship bracelets~

We’re capping off our series with a bonus category: transgressive masculinity. How does “coming out of a bottle” disrupt the inherent contradictions of what makes the ideal man? How does “feminized” framing influence how male characters are perceived by other characters and the audience? We look at Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes to answer these questions. It's been a time with this masculinity series—thanks for riding the elevator with us today!

For more context, read the fan commentary: “‘Nice boots, Tinker Bell!’: Steve Rogers as an allegory for the impossibility of performative masculinity.”

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The witching hour is upon us as Agatha All Along premieres on Disney+. Listen as Genn and Sorceress Supreme team up to analyze the first two episodes and express their hopes and fears...all while cooing over Joe Locke and tapping into their dark little hearts 

So far we’ve discussed male superheroes who get stuck in the rigid (and sometimes toxic) rules of the traditional masculine code. But what about the positive side of masculinity? How do other heroes embody the flexibility and fluidity inherent to healthy masculinity? How do family, race, and culture influence how they express their gender? Peter Parker, T’Challa, and Sam Wilson become our next three case studies for masculinity in Marvel.

The toxicity is at tolerable levels, folks, with our Middle Ground Men. These MCU boys have their moments of toxicity and their moments of being healthy humans. Listen as the Nerd Alert Girls explain the good, the bad, the ugly, and the complexity of three more Marvel heroes and how their evolving interpretations of masculinity affect themselves, their storylines, and even the multiverse itself! Let’s take a close look at Thor Odinson, Shang-Chi, and Bruce Banner.

What defines a man in the hypermasculine genre of superhero movies? Is it being a genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist? The Nerd Alert Girls aren’t so sure. We’re looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly side of masculinity in our heroes - starting with how they break free (or don’t) from their more toxic traits. From the tech bro archetypes to the slogan “boys don’t cry,” we’ve got a lot to discuss. We kick off this series with a focus on Tony Stark, Peter Quill, and Hank Pym.

How many cameos can you stuff into one movie? Deadpool & Wolverine’s answer is yes. As the Nerd Alert Girls dissect the film, we parse through the gratuitous violence, the jokes, and the nostalgia in search of the plot. While we certainly had fun, we couldn’t help but wonder how this movie reflects Marvel’s broader trends in romance, women, and deeper storylines.

But hey, they brought back a certain someone to play a hot superhero... no, not that one, and Ryan and Hugh are giving maximum effort!

For Pride Month, Caroline takes a look at the queer characters in Marvel movies and television and asks whether or not the MCU is guilty of queerbaiting. Some may be wondering what that means while others might be having flashbacks to 2010s Tumblr discourse. To all of you: don’t worry, we are going to get through this and have a thoughtful discussion in good faith about queer representation in Marvel. Caroline is going to define some terms and demonstrate how the franchise keeps seeming like it might leave the closet only to continue to stay behind the last decades’ fashions.